CHRAJ boss 'wickedly wasted' public funds - IMANI boss

The head of policy think-tank IMANI Ghana has said the wicked way in which Ms Lauretta Lamptey has wasted public funds is "surprising" and "sad".

Franklin Cudjoe wondered why the CHRAJ commissioner, who attributed her failure to investigate several corruption cases before her to lack of funds, would “waste” thousands of dollars to renovate an official residence.

"I thought that professionals were not party to these kinds of very wicked ways of dealing with public funds," Cudjoe told host of Morning Starr Kafui Dey Wednesday on Starr 103.5 FM.

He added, “this woman has obviously closed her eyes to the rot – GYEEDA, SADA, SUBAH - all these things are lying before her office as we speak, letters have been sent to her, I know for a fact and you know what her reply was; the commission has no funds in order to investigate.”

“She [Lauretta Lamptey] was supposed to be proactive on these rather debilitating corruption cases. We wanted to see her on these big ticket corrupt-laden projects, and she was nowhere to be found.

“All the letters she has written in response to these claims are that she doesn’t have money but obviously she has a lot of money to waste and sit in her room in a hotel. What kind of injustice did we commit to allow such a person to waste funds,” the IMANI boss pointed out.

Ms Lamptey has come under severe pressure to vacate her post following revelations that over US$203,500 has been spent on renovating her official residence.

She confirmed to Starr News that she is currently lodging at a hotel and paying the Cedi equivalent of $456.25 per day.

Ms Lamptey told Starr News that calls for her resignation are borne out of ignorance and lack of understanding by her critics on her role as CHRAJ Boss.

But Cudjoe said Ms Lamptey must step aside to save her reputation and protect her family and friends.

“If I were her, my conscience unless she has none, my reputation, my friends would make me tell President Mahama, let me step aside and investigate this.”

“She herself doesn’t understand what she is about...she is confused about her duties,” Cudjoe added.